This is a high-climbing, 6″ to 24″ tall when sprawling, perennial, woody vine rising from a taproot.

The vine of the current season is green to gray or brown, lightly ridged, and hairless or lightly hairy. When they mature they become covered with reddish-brown bark. On old growth the bark sheds in long, thin strips. It extends up to 50′.

Tendrils form opposite most leaves but are lacking every third leaf.

The leaves are alternate, yellowish-green, 4″ to 8″ wide, round to egg-shaped, and lobed with a heart-shaped base. They are on long leaf stalks. The lobing pattern is highly variable, even on the same plant, but they are usually divided into 3 forward-pointing lobes. Leaf margins are sharply toothed. Young leaves are hairless on the upper side, hairy on the underside. As they mature the undersides become green and hairless except for tufts of short, soft hairs in the vein axils and sometimes along the veins.

Male and female flowers are found in separate inflorescences on the same plant. The inflorescences are borne opposite most leaves but are lacking every third leaf. They are 2″ to 4″ long.

Flowers are inconspicuous, tiny, greenish white or greenish-yellow and fragrant. They have 5 petals.

The fruit is a black, purple, or blue, ¼″ to ½″ thick juicy berry with 2 to 6 seeds. The berry has a whitish, waxy bloom at maturity.

Phyllocnistis vitifoliella (no common name) creates conspicuous lines beneath the outer layer of cells (mines) that snake across the leaf surface. The mines are unsightly but do not significantly affect the health of the plant.

There are many species of Native American grapes, this particular species "Vitis Riparia" also know as the frost grape has been used for over a hundred years in to create hardy domestic grapes. Small, tart, plentiful,& pungent its used to make things from wine to jams. In this video I talk about this vigorous native grape vine, & share the awesome experience of foraging them.

Song: Pigeons Under Water
Artist: Greyboy Allstars

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE AUDIO, NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.

Riverbank Grape in Northern Wine Making
TheCampusTrees

About

Published on Apr 16, 2014

Riverbank grape (Vitis riparia) is a grape native to North America and grows wild across much of the Northern part of the continent. While its unpleasant taste, diminutive size, and seedy texture make it more fitting for wild animal browsing than human consumption, Vitis riparia has a secret weapon - it's cold hardiness. By mixing the freeze resistant genes of riverbank with premium table grapes wine stocks for the Northern latitudes are now available.